Rail spring



E. WOODINGS.

RAIL SPRING. APPLICATION man JAN- 7. I922.

Patented May 16, 1922.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

E. WOODINGS.

. RAIL SPRING.

PPLICATION FILED JAN. 7, 1922 1,416 152.

' Patnted May16,1922.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2- WINVENTOR STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WORKS, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A

VANIA.

CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- RAIL SPRING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1922.

Application filed January 7, 1922. Serial No. 527,793.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMANUEL Voomxos, a citizen of the United States, a resident of Verona, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail Springs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved rail spring;

Figure 2 is a top plan view showing the spring in position before tightening up;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, showing the spring in clamped and tightened position; and

Figure 4 is a cross section on the line IV-IV of Figure 3.

My invention relatesto the class of rail springs of the leaf type, and is designed to provide an improved spring which bridges at least two bolts and is designed to hold the splice bars in the desired position with yielding pressure, take up wear and reduce the battering of the rail ends.

As shown in Figure 1, the spring is formed of a rolled strip of spring steel both bent longitudinally and transversely. The longitudinal bend is preferably in the form of reverse or compound curves, the central portion 2 of the spring being bent inwardly and the side portions 3, 3, thence extending outwardly and being bent inwardly at the ends. The greatest inward bend longitudinally is preferably at the center, as shown, as this is found to give improved results.

The longitudinal curving of the spring 1s preferably suflicient so that when the spring is tightened to place, it takes a partial permanent set, because the metal has been carried past the elastic limit in straightening. Consequently, when the spring is taken off, it does not return to its original shape, but takes a shape between its original shape and the shape assumed in tightened position. This is found to aid materially in giving the spring its desired action in holding the splice bars firmly in position and reducing the battering of the rail ends. The transverse bending preferably gives the spring a slight concavity on the inside or side next to the splice bar, the outer surface being correspondingly convexed.

The spring is of a length greater than the distance between two adjacent bolt holes, and longitudinally elongated holes at, at, are formed in the side portions 3, 3, between the central inward bend and the ends. These holes are so arranged that opportunity is allowed for the ends of the spring to slide over the bolts as the spring is forced from its normal shape shown in Figure 2 to its shape when in tightened position shown in F igure 3.

In order to prevent the inside corners of the spring from cutting into the splice bar when the spring is tightened by turning up the nuts, I flatten or round off these corners, as shown at 5, preferably by grinding. I thus avoid the defacing and injuring of the splice bars by the sharp inside corners of the spring as it is forced into tightened position.

In using the springs on a rail joint having four bolts, I preferably employ one spring on each side of the joint and reverse the bolts therefor, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. One of the bolts 6 has its head cont-acting with the spring, while the nut for the other bolt contacts with the spring. \Vhilethis is preferable, the bolts may be arranged alike so that the nuts for both contact with the spring.

The bolts now ordinarily used on rail jomts are wing bolts, that is, the stem of the bolt immediately under the head is elongated in a horizontal direction on both sides. \Vith an ordinary joint, the wing POM-"US (5 of these bolts lit in clongatcd holes in the splice bar, thus preventing the bolt from turning when the nut is screwed home. Inasmuch as most railroads now prefer to stagger" the bolts. that is, to reverse the. bolts, so that the head of one bolt of the pair is on one side and the head of the other bolt of the pair is on the other side; this brings the wings of one bolt within the elongated hole of the spring. 'The hole in the spring is preferably made with about clearance between the top and bottom of the bolt, while the hole usually has about 3," clearance between the ends of the elongated hole and the bolt wings. The holes are spaced so that this longitudinal clearance comes mainly on the inside of the bolts before tightening so that the spring can slide lcngtlnvisc over the bolt as it is straightened out.

\Vhen the nuts are turned to force. in the spring, its central portion first bears against i the splice bar 7 on that side of the rail, and

the spring is perferably forced in until its longitudinal bends are mainly flattened out,.

and these bends, as well as the center, bear against the splice bar, as shown in Figure 3. The transverse bend preferably remains in place.

The advantages of my invention result from the compound longitudinal curving of the spring with the greatest curve at the middle portion, from the enclosing of the elongated bolt holes, and from the chamfering off of the corners to prevent cutting of the splice bar. A stiff, strong and efiicient spring is thus provided, which aids in lengthening the life of the rails and splice bars and gives a strong resistant joint which curved in to a less extent than the central" portion, substantially as described. 3. A rail spring having a longitudinal compound curvature and a transverse curvature, the greatest longitudinal curvature being in the central portion, substantially as described.

4. A longitudinally curved rail spring adapted to be forced against the surface of a splice bar andhaving elongated enclosed bolt holes in its ends, substantially as described.

5. A rail spring having both longitudinal and transverse curvatures, and provided near its ends with enclose-d bolt holes, substantially as described.

6. Alongitudinal curved rail spring having its end portions curved in and chamfered or flattened off to avoid cutting of the splice bar, substantially as described.

7. A rail spring having longitudinal and transverse curvatures, the inner end corners being chamfered off or flattened, substantially as described.

8. A rail spring having a longitudinal curvature suflicient to impart some perr manent set to the spring when tightened into position against a splice bar, substantially as described. I

9. A curved rail spring having elongated enclosed bolt holes arranged to receive a wing bolt and prevent its turnin and to allow sliding over the bolt when tlghtened, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EMANUEL WOODINGS. 

